60 arrested in Makati for alleged vote buying

Authorities arrested 60 people in Makati City on Saturday for alleged vote buying and selling.

Of the 60, eight people were arrested for vote buying. Three of them are barangay officials, according to a report by Vonne Aquino on GMA News TV's Balitanghali on Sunday.

Those arrested for alleged vote buying were identified by police as barangay treasurer Karen-May Matibag, barangay secretary Medlyn Joy Ong, barangay admin Marie Antoinette Capistrano, Wenifredo Ong, Mario Louis Siriban, Adrian Chiapoco, John Brian Matibag, and Ma. Liberty Dacullo.

The remaining 52 arrested individuals were nabbed for alleged vote selling.

Operatives from the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) Special Operations Unit, Southern Police District, and the Makati City Police swooped down at the barangay hall of Barangay Isidro on Saturday night after receiving a tip of alleged vote buying and selling happening there.

Video taken by police showed there were people inside the barangay hall but the lights were off except for those in the hallway.

When the light was turned on inside a room, seven people were found to be inside. 

Also found inside the room was a box containing 820 pieces of P500 bills totaling P410,000, nineteen ID cards, and 10 cellphones.

NCRPO chief Major General Guillermo Eleazar said transactions are made inside the room with names of people being checked against a list bearing names of voters and their precinct numbers.

"Itong barangay hall na ito, pinapatay nila ang ilaw, pinapapasok ang lahat at saka inilo-lock. This is a clear violation ng ating ipinatutupad na Omnibus Election Code at maaari rin silang managot sa Intervention of Public Officers. Ire-refer natin ito hindi lang sa Comelec [Commission on Elections], pati na rin sa DILG [Department of the Interior and Local Government]," he said.

Recovered from the suspects were the cash and voters' list with highlighted names. Police said those with highlighted names have already been paid.

Authorities also recovered from the suspects two boxes of leaflets of Mayor Abigail Binay as well as some leaflets of Murang Kuryente party-list.

Eleazar said they will conduct an investigation into the matter.

GMA News contacted Mayor Binay's camp for comment but has yet to receive a reply as of airing time.

Murang Kuryente party-list 3rd nominee Glenn Ymata on the other hand told GMA News that the group has nothing to do with the alleged vote buying.

One of those arrested, barangay treasurer Karen May Matibag, said the cash was for the outside watchers, those who give out flyers outside the schools and give food to watchers assigned inside polling precincts.

Barangay secretary Medlyn Joy Ong also said the cash was for outside watchers, but added she had no idea how many watchers there are.

Barangay administrator Marie Antoinette Capistrano said she does not know who gave the cash to them. 

"Any consideration or any amount whether it's a financial o, kahit na ito ay materyal or even a promise na bibigyan ka ng something valuable kapalit ng pagboto mo sa isang kandidato is already vote selling and vote buying," Eleazar said.

Police said they will also look into the possible liability of barangay captain Rolando Alvarez Jr. He was not at the barangay hall when police arrived.

Meanwhile, of the 52 individuals arrested for alleged vote selling, some are senior citizens while some are parents who even had their children with them.

They will face charges of violation of the Omnibus Election Code.

The suspects were brought to Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig City.

Eleazar said police will be aggressive in running after those into vote buying.

"Nag-maximize tayo na mag-deploy from the reserved force sa headquarters, pati na rin sa other special units and support units para ma-maximize natin sila to enforce the directive of our chief of PNP [Philippine National Police] to run after vote buying particularly itong huling dalawang araw bago ang eleksyon," he said. —KG, GMA News